New bakery opens, new Chef Paul restaurant coming to Hurricane

Sugar-dusted scones are among the many treats you'll find at the new Sugar Maples in Hurricane

Bar 101 reopens New Year’s Eve, Holly Jolly Hideaway open this weekend

A new bakery located in the same building where James Beard-winning chef Paul Smith’s newest restaurant will be has opened in Hurricane.

Cookies as big as your head!

Sugar Maples at 3741 Teays Valley Rd. offers signature sweets treats like a vanilla ice cream and chocolate chip cookie sandwich, a maple crunch walnut sundae, a brownie sundae with whipped cream and a cherry on top and a shot of double espresso served over ice cream.

There’s also a full “float” bar with all manner of ice creams, sodas, toppings and such, along with brownies, cinnamon rolls, sticky buns, banana pudding croissants, muffins, cookies, bars, trifles and more.

On the drink side, you’ll find an array of hot or iced coffees and teas, plus concoctions like the Appalachian Fog (Earl Grey tea with steamed milk and brown sugar maple syrup) and the Mountaineer Macchiato with that same syrup blended with espresso and topped with foam and cinnamon.

After hosting a grand opening this past Saturday, Sugar Maples will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. For more information, call 304-945-1863 or visit the bakery’s Facebook page.

Dirty sodas from Sugar Maples

Sugar Maples is located in the same building as Chef Paul’s Bad Happy Burritos, a new casual counter-service burrito joint serving burritos, tacos, bowls and wings with beer, wine and premixed chef-crafted cocktails in fun family-friendly environment. (Think elevated items like pork carnitas, local slow-braised beef, free-range chicken and occasional specials.)

Smith – who also owns 1010 Bridge and Paulie’s Fine Italian in Charleston, but sold his interest in The Pitch in Dunbar three months ago – said Bad Happy is expected to open this February, so stay tuned for that tasty preview coming soon.

“I am so excited to bring a concept like this to the Teays Valley area,” he said.

Bar 101 reopening alongside new steakhouse

The new steakhouse I told you was coming to the old Bar 101 location on the corner of Virginia and Capitol streets in downtown Charleston is actually going into the former location of Ichiban Pan-Asian Cuisine next door.

Iced sweet treats from Sugar Maples

That’s because the remodeled Bar 101 space itself is reopening as … Bar 101.

That’s right, folks, the corner location that has housed epic Charleston bars through the years like Cheers, Mulligan’s and most recently Bar 101 will soon reopen as a new bar under the same Bar 101 name.

And by soon, I mean Dec. 31.

The reimagined bar will host a soft opening on New Year’s Eve, followed by the opening of Prime Steakhouse sometime after that.

“Charleston’s community staple, Bar 101, is reopening its doors with a brand-new standard of service – and a soft opening on Dec. 31,” the restaurant and bar’s owners wrote in a Facebook post this week.

“Alongside it, the upscale dining experience PRIME | Dennis Harmison Signature Steakhouse is preparing to launch with a full team of exceptional hospitality professionals. We cannot wait to show you what we have in store.”

Stay tuned for more details on the food, drinks and vibe both establishments will offer.

Holly Jolly pop-up bar open this weekend

It’s a Christmas miracle!

Sugar Maples and Bad Happy Burritos

After a splashy opening during the Holly Jolly Brawley festival Thanksgiving Day weekend, a pop-up holiday cocktail bar in the former Dem 2 Brothers location in downtown Charleston will reopen to the public this weekend.

The brainchild behind the temporary, but oh-so festive, experience – Rock City Cake Company owner Morgan Morrison – said the Holly Jolly Hideaway at 189 Summers St. will be open from 6-11 p.m. this Friday and Saturday.

Since I was out of town for the temporary bar’s reveal two weeks ago, I’ll be the first in line this weekend!

Steven Keith is a food writer and restaurant critic known as “The Food Guy” who writes a weekly column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail and has appeared in several state, regional and national culinary publications. Follow him online at www.wvfoodguy.com or on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest as “WV Food Guy.” He can be reached at 304-380-6096 or at wvfoodguy@aol.com.